RE: paying more to be single (Maggie's post)

["Thomas, Barb" <thomas@amgen.com>]

Obviously, you aren't reading what I said.  Discount the kids memberships,
I'm all for it, but NOT for discounting adult memberships!!  As far as
convention seminars are concerned, EVERYONE should pay full price.  If you
attribute the difference in membership to EN, then the membership discount
is NOT fair.  EN does not cost $55 to produce and since the difference in
membership between a single and a couple is only $10, that's what is
implied.  With all the advertising backing they have, it costs even less
than the $40 non-member subscription price.  So, I'm paying $65 for myself
and you're paying $75 for you and your husband.  EN costs less than $40 to
produce, so I'm paying a bit more than $25/yr for administration and you're
paying a bit more than $17.50 per person (you and your husband) per year and
that's fair??  Let's see, I bet you do get voting ballots for each voting
member; what other mailings are there?  If I had kids, yes, I would expect a
discount on membership, but not on anything else AERC itself does.  (note
that AERC only sanctions rides, doesn't put them on, so ride discounts are
not included in this statement)
Barb

	Maggie wrote:

> I still don't see how YOUR money pays for MY family's hobby.... and I
> regularly
> see a dozen or better juniors on some of the rides I have attended here in
> Michigan.  I just don't get where some of this reasoning comes from...
> would you
> all feel better is I sent the full amount per person?  What sense would it
> make
> for AERC to send us 3 EN and 3 mailings and 3 of whatever they send out?
> I am
> sure there is a built in formula that AERC feels is sensible and
> reasonable in
> allowing a family discount and I am sure that discrimination has nothing
> to do
> with it.  As far as perpetuating the sport, families or not, we all
> perpetuate
> it when we join, don't we?  I know ALOT of adults who have been doing
> endurance
> a great many years so I think the loyal people will stick with it,
> whatever age
> they are, kids or no kids!  Just my humble thoughts on the subject!  BTW,
> if you
> have kids, do YOU pay the full adult price for each of them???
> Maggie
>